2 weeks ago I ordered new shoes. I needed a new pair to get me through the final training miles and marathon. I ordered the new model of my current shoe. I was assured by numerous sales people at various stores that these shoes were so similar to my current shoe and the changes 'would were minimal and would not be noticeable."
I was stoked when the package arrived and I took them for spin as soon as I could put them on and lace them up. I ran 4 miles and felt a slight twinge of an old hip injury. I thought it was the fact that the shoes were new and my body was not used to the shoes. The following day I ran another 5 miles and my hip felt funny again. I dismissed it as nothing again. Saturday dawned and I was stoked for my 20 miler. I felt great. I was mentally and physically ready.
About mile 8 I felt my hip pop. The pain was excruciating. I was not having any of it though. I am nothing if not determined and I am NOT a quitter. So I pressed on leading my group and wincing with every footfall. We arrived at the 1/2 way point and our support staff. I took some Adviln and continued on. I had felt this pain before. I knew what to was from and how to deal with it.
I finished the run feeling strong and steady despite the pain in my hip intensifying. I immediately got a bag of ice on my hip and kept it there all day. I rolled my hip several times that day and kept ice on it. I knew it was the shoes. I had been in this place before. While I iced my hip. I did some research on the shoes I had worn for this run.
What I learned was that the shoe had been overhauled. The guidance line, toe box and other major features has been changed. All this lead to my pain and hip issues. I contacted the store that sold me the shoe and asked to make a return. They gladly took the shoe back offering a credit for the price of the shoe as well as an additional credit for the poor advice/my pain which was kind.
So there I was... back at square one. Did I wear the old faithful shoes for the remainder of training and the marathon? Did I try to find new shoes this close the the marathon? What to do?!
The day followimg my 20 miler, I took a visit to my local running store, Dick Pond, and asked for advice. I tried some new shoes but was a little discouraged. One of salesmen asked if I had looked for my old shoes online. I said I had ... to no avail. So he went off to the computer while I continued to try on shoes. He soon said he had found a pair in the shoe company's warehouse but would not promise as sometimes computers are wrong.
I left the store with little hope and a prayer that this guy could deliver. The next afternoon he called and said the shoes where on their way to the store...and that they were the last pair in the warehouse and the country. He was concerned that my current shoe was blue and this shoe was pink! Are you kidding?! I was stoked! The last pair and they were pink?!
Friday I picked up my shoes and my feet felt like they had found an old friend. I was gleeful like a kid at Christmas. I smiled all the way home looking forward to my run the next morning.
The weather threatened with sun/clouds/wind/rain/thunder/sun. We ran fast and furious as we kept at it chewing up the miles trying to outrun the rain. We finished and it was then that I realized NOTHING HURT! I could have run 12 more miles but called it a day looking forward to my next run.
We runners are creatures of habit. We each have our routines and rituals but what we are most particular about is our footwear. We buy our shoes by how they make us feel not by color. Good shoes make every run better. Why shoe makers mess with a good thing and change current shoe designs rather than just creating a new shoe is beyond me. But it is a fact of runners life.
So for now I have the right shoes, a pain free hip and a new attitude. An attitude that I can not only conquer this marathon but the world. I can feel it....from my head to my happy feet. Peace.
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